


every afternoon

by luminessen



Series: café au love [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cliche, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Originally Posted on deviantART, Reader-Insert, Romance, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:48:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25424158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luminessen/pseuds/luminessen
Summary: He was just a barista who fell head over heels for you. It was up to him to make you his before a certain ex-captain of the Nekoma volleyball club did.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Reader, Sugawara Koushi/Reader
Series: café au love [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1754047
Comments: 2
Kudos: 52





	every afternoon

**Author's Note:**

> originally uploaded on [deviantART](https://www.deviantart.com/gianooti). also reuploaded from my orphaned ao3 acc.
> 
> originally posted on 12 april 2017. edited on 20 december 2020.
> 
> i snuck in a reference from my fic "mortification", see if you can find it! enjoy ;)

You push through the door of the cafe, the sound of the bell chime tinkling lightly. The smell of roasted coffee beans wafting in the air, making you excited at the prospect of a new go-to cafe. You figured the coffee was good here, if it wasn’t for the full tables and long line at the counter. Your steps echo against the hard wooden floor, inching closer towards the counter decorated with sweets. A frown grows on your face, torn between the abundance of delicious-sounding beverages and choosing just one.

Hazel-brown eyes peer from the counter at you, looking a little lost with a finger placed on your chin, deep in thought. “Can I help you with anything?”

You look up to find a man with dashing silver hair and a small beauty mark that rests underneath his eye, radiantly smiling at you. You tell him your order, watching him grab the cup and a marker, scribbling down your drink in no time.

“Can I get your name?”

You give him your name, watching him write it down before telling you the cost. He moves back to the machine, pulling down the lever to let out a high pitched whistle sound, steam billowing out from the top of the machine. Your eyes wander from his elegant movements around the machine and counter to the rest of the cafe, feeling like time just froze in this one perfect moment. 

“Are you new around here?”

You turn to meet the same hazel-eyes, blinking curiously at you. You scratch your cheek, looking to the side, “Was it that obvious?” you chuckle to yourself, “I moved in just a few days ago, so I’m still getting used to the new city and everything.”

He presses the lid to the piping hot drink, sliding it towards you before looking at you with a grin, “Well, welcome [Name]! Hope I’ll be seeing you around here more often?”

You reach for the drink, cupping it in your hands. “Thanks,” you take a sip of the latte, a smile growing on your face, absolutely delighted by the taste, “and yes, I’ll be back soon!”

You wave him goodbye before leaving the cafe, burning your lips trying to sip your drink. Sugawara chuckles at the sight, unaware of the growing smile on his face and the stare of the tall, blond barista on his back as he walks out of the back. 

Tsukishima glances between you and Sugawara, with a small smirk forming on his face. “Cute, wasn’t she?”

Sugawara sighs dreamily, “Yeah, she was.”

Sugawara sighs again before his eyes widen, his head snapping back to find his junior stifling chuckles behind his hand. His face explodes into a bright red before realising that he had just fallen for his junior’s stupid trap.

“Tsukishima!”

“Your job is to serve coffee, not stare at girls, _Sugawara-san_." he replies, his tone oozing with tease.

Now he knows how Hinata and Kageyama felt every time Tsukishima egged them on. "Why don't you get back to work instead of making fun of your boss? I _am_ the one paying you." Sugwara pouts.

Tsukishima lets out a small chuckle, his evil grin still on his face before leaving with a _‘Yes sir’_ like he didn’t just do that. Sugawara sighs heavily and turns to his station, holding his forehead in his hand.

_Since when were youngsters this much trouble?_

~

From that day on you would visit the cafe everyday for weeks on end, the chatter between the two of you growing each time you visit. The sight of your bright eyes and sweet smile sends shivers down his back, feeling a rush of joy run through him. He couldn’t help but let a wide grin grow on his face, waving at you from the counter. “The usual?”

You wipe snow off the top of your hair, unwrapping the scarf tight around your neck and sighing at the feel of the heater on your face. “Actually, I’ll have a hot chocolate here.”

He takes your order while you relax at a table adjacent to the window. He sneaks several glances at you, bathed by the crisp winter sun, the colour of you [e/c] eyes shining under the light. Though he had to stop because he almost burned himself by pouring coffee while staring at you, again. He readies your hot chocolate, sprinkling cocoa powder on the brown, foamy surface of the drink, placing the marshmallow on the chocolatey surface. 

Footsteps on the wooden floors brings your attention off of your phone, the waft of sweet chocolate surrounding you. He places it in front of you, with you thanking him and offering him an empty seat opposite you.

“Oh, I-I couldn't, I still have to work—”

“But it’s not like there’s anyone here though?”

He looks around, only finding one or two people left in the cafe. He turns back to you, watching you look up to him through your eyelashes, batting them like you were begging him to sit down. He blushed slightly at the sight, sighing in defeat as he pulled out the chair to sit across from you. While he was not worried about the other customers, the sensation of a blond sadist burning holes at the back of his head while wearing that shit-eating grin made him quite nervous.

He ignores his piercing gaze to converse with you, enjoying the sound of your bright laughter, the way you cheeks blush at his jokes, the feeling of your hand playfully pushing at his arm—things he could never see or feel from the fleeting hellos and goodbyes. The both of you talk like old friends who haven’t seen each other in years, when you were just a barista and customer.

Sugawara felt deep down, he wanted something more.

“Well, back in high school, I used to be part of the volleyball club. Along with my tease of a co-worker back at the counter there." Sugawara brings up. You look back to the tall blond male with thin framed glasses, who bows slightly in return. Looking at him brings an unfamiliar feeling of recognition to you.

The words ‘volleyball club’ made you perk up, your eyes slightly wide. “Oh really? Which school?”

“Ah, Karasuno! We had these two first years, knocking off the dean's wig and having it land on our captain's head."

You giggle at the thought, "Man, that must've been fun! That reminds me though, didn’t your school beat Ushijima that one time?”

Sugawara’s eyes widened in surprise, the fact that you knew about that match after so many years makes him think of the overwhelming feeling of relief and happiness that he cried. A big grin on his face grows before he answers, “Yes, that was us.”

You cover your mouth with your hand, gasping in surprise, "I must be sitting in the presence of the legendary dream team!" you joke, failing to keep up your act as you stifle your laughter, Sugawara slowly joining you.

Your laughs die down, the calm quietness of the cafe thus taking over. "Oh, by the way, did you ever stumble across Nekoma High? Since you were involved with tournaments and all that jazz."

"Hmm? Oh, we did, for a few practice matches together. Why do you ask?"

"You know their captain, Kuroo?"

Sugawara had a bad feeling about this, mentally preparing himself for no reason in particular, "Yes, I do..."

"Well, we actually got together a while back."

"Oh, y-you and Kuroo?" he stutters, totally not expecting this kind of answer.

“Yeah, we met when I was still working at a cafe before it closed, he said the most embarrassing thing to me.” you say, laughing a little.

"Right..." Sugawara says, voice trailing off. He was at a loss for words, never would he have thought that the _captain_ of Nekoma and you would become a couple. Now he felt bad for having feelings for you, and somehow you felt so far away despite being right across him. "If you don't mind...what exactly did he say?"

“Oh man, it was _mortifying_ , I asked him what he would like to order but his response was, _'you.'_ " you look to the side as you utter those words, scratching your cheek out of embarrassment at the memory. 

Sugawara was speechless, one, because he couldn’t even imagine Kuroo saying that. Ever. Two, was for feeling bad for being attracted to you when you were already taken. In his defense, he had no idea. Though nevertheless he still felt disappointed.

He hears a few knocks on the glass window next to him, both you and Sugawara turn to see Kuroo waving to most probably you. He turns to enter the cafe, ringing the bell as he walks in. Sugawara never dreaded the sound of the bell more than this moment. You sit up and walk towards Kuroo, hugging and greeting him as if you'd planned for him to pick you up.

"Long time no see, Sugawara."

“Yeah.” he says, half-heartedly.

"Well, we'll be going now. It was nice to talk to you, Sugawara." you say, waving as you leave with Kuroo.

Sugawara gives you a half-hearted goodbye, watching as Kuroo messes with Tsukishima at the counter before leaving, introducing him to you and seeing an imaginary lightbulb light up above your head. As the two of you leave the cafe, Sugawara watches you link arms with Kuroo, a bright smile light up on your face as he messes with your hair. Sugwara turns away, walking to the counter and distracts himself with work. He ignores the sympathetic gaze Tsukishima gives him, but feels him pat his arm in the most comforting manner possible.

~

Sugawara hands the customer their drink, seeing them off with a smile and sighs at the slow pace of work. He scans the cafe with disappointed eyes, saddened at the lack of your presence for the past few weeks. Maybe he should just move on, it wasn’t like he was anywhere _near_ asking you out anyways. However, his thoughts were cut short at the bell chime, he couldn’t help but flick his eyes towards the door and hope it was you.

To his surprise, you did show up, never failing to make his flutter in happiness. He smiles and welcomes you from the counter, you smiling in return. The sight of your smile almost made him forget about the raging jealousy he had felt beforehand. But it didn’t really solve the problem that you were taken by Kuroo nonetheless.

Speaking of which, Sugawara paused for a moment, Kuroo was nowhere to be seen. He was debating whether or not he should ask you about it, though he fails anyways as you can sense his curious gaze.

"Where's Kuroo right? Let's just say that I don't associate with cheaters." you say, giving him a sad smile.

“Oh, sorry… I should have known—”

“It’s cool,” you say, a little too quickly, “I’ve moved on, hopefully.”

After a somewhat short conversation, it feels like the both of you are back to square one. He doesn't push the conversation further, afraid that something awkward and cringy will come out of his mouth. Instead, he turns to make your coffee, an iced caramel latte.

He calls for you, handing your drink. You take it from him, thanking him before sipping the cold beverage—revelling in the delicate balance of bitterness countered by the sweetness of the caramel.

“Ah, I missed this—you always know how to make it perfectly sweet.”

“Well, it's not as sweet as you."

Maybe Sugawara should have thought for a second longer before he said that, but maybe he wanted to give you and him a go by spewing a cheesy line just like Kuroo had done otherwise he’d be there all day fawning over you and doing nothing about it. It was time he did something for himself. 

You stand there stiffened by his response, blood rushing to the apples of your cheeks after realising what he had just said. He watches you stare at him with amazement and shock, turning red himself but keeping a steadfast and confident gaze on you, tensing as you begin to open your mouth.

“Sugawara? What are you—”

“I have,” Sugawara checks his watch, “ten minutes until my shift ends, so maybe we could go out somewhere together?”

“...Go out?” you ask, not sure if he meant it that way.

"I mean, it doesn't exactly have to be a date! O-Only if you want it to be...?" he asks, voice losing volume as he ends the sentence.

You blink your eyes, watching him fiddle with his hands and stare at his feet. A small smile grows on your lips, chuckling slightly at how cute he looked. He peeked up at you, watching you lean forward a bit. "Sure, I'm up for it," you smile, relieving Sugawara of what could've been a disaster at best, "I'll wait for you here."

You turn and walk towards a table, a slight skip in your step. He tries to hide the wide grin on his face at the giddy feeling before he freezes, realising that Tsukishima just witnessed the entire thing and winced, expecting a snarky comment but was met with a small smile.

“Congrats, Sugawara-san.”

**Author's Note:**

> dont forget to leave kudos, comments and subscribe to my profile! feel free to scream with me about 2d bois on my [tumblr](https://luminessen.tumblr.com)!


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